Chirpify Makes Tweet-to-Buy Easier

Below:

Next story in Tech and gadgets

Impulse buying while browsing your social media feeds just became
much easier. Chirpify, a shopping platform that lets people buy
items by tweeting or posting a comment on Facebook or Instagram,
is now accepting payments using debit and credit cards, as well
as direct payments from connected bank accounts.

Until today (June 11), social media users had to use PayPal to
buy goods through Chirpify partners, which meant sellers had to
pay a transaction fee to both PayPal and Chirpify. Without the
PayPal fee, shoppers may see a bit of a discount from Chirpify's
retail partners, including Adidas, Taco Bell, the Portland
Trailblazers and Snoop Dogg.

If you're not familiar with Chirpify (a real possibility if
you're not a fan of basketball
, tacos or rap music), it allows stores and individuals to sell
items within Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. So instead of
seeing a special offer on a pair of Adidas running shoes in an
Instagram feed and then going to the Adidas site to buy, a
Chirpify user can tweet back "buy," and the shoes will be on
their way. Keep in mind that your Chirpify transactions are
visible to anyone viewing your stream, so this isn't a good way
to shop for a surprise gift.

But Chirpify
isn't just about shopping; you can sell items through the
platform, too. And, you don't have to be Adidas or Snoop Dogg to
do it. Musicians, artists and others have used the service, which
lets them promote their work and sell it with a simple tweet or
post. Friends can also use Chirpify to send payments each other.
Both parties must have a Chirpify account to use the service.

To set up a Chirpify account, you link your Facebook
, Instagram and Twitter accounts; you also choose payment methods
for buying and selling, and these two tasks don't have to be
linked to the same account. For instance, you might want to buy
stuff with your VISA card, but receive payments directly to your
checking account.

Your financial information is securely stored and encrypted,
according to Chirpify. If you notice a charge against your
account that was made without your permission, Chirpify says it
will cover you for the full amount of every eligible,
unauthorized transaction.